United States Congressman Riley Moore has said Washington will closely monitor Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, noting that the conduct of the polls could shape future security and financial support to the country.
Moore, a Republican representing West Virginia, disclosed this during an interview with NoireTV, where he said issues around election credibility and religious freedom in Nigeria had become important concerns for the United States.
According to him, the US government will pay close attention to how Nigeria’s next general elections are organised and conducted.
“What I’d say is that we’re certainly going to be watching these results and how these elections unfold and how they’re executed. And that’s something that myself and the administration are going to be paying very close attention to,” Moore said.
The congressman also revealed that the US House of Representatives was considering an appropriations bill containing strong provisions on Nigeria.
He said the bill would address concerns around the alleged persecution of Christians, while also placing possible restrictions on security assistance to the Nigerian government.
“We’re working on Chris Smith’s bill, which obviously I’m a co-sponsor. But I’d say, more importantly, is the appropriations bill that we’re going to have on the floor,” Moore said.
According to him, the proposed bill includes conditions Nigeria may have to meet in relation to religious freedom and security cooperation.
He added that the legislation is likely to become law and could influence the future of US-Nigeria relations.
“That bill’s likely to become law. We’re about to, hopefully, pass that. And so there’s some pretty strong and aggressive language in that bill that’s going to be binding as it relates to our relationship to Nigeria moving forward,” he said.
Moore further stated that he remained in direct talks with the Trump administration on Nigeria and would continue to raise the matter with senior US officials.
He said he was scheduled to meet President Donald Trump at a dinner with other lawmakers and planned to discuss the issue again.
“I continue to work with the administration on next steps that we’re going to take. I’m actually going to see President Trump tonight. I’ll be having dinner with him and some other members, so yeah, I continue to talk to him about these issues, and it’s very important to him,” Moore said.
His comments suggest that Nigeria’s 2027 elections may draw stronger international scrutiny, particularly from the United States, as concerns over electoral credibility, security cooperation and religious freedom continue to shape diplomatic conversations between both countries.
